"French President Emmanuel Macron called for a change in the law after the highest French court of appeals ruled last week that the murderer of Sarah Halimi could not be held criminally accountable for his actions since he took cannabis before he committed his crime.
'Deciding to take drugs and then 'becoming mad' should not in my eyes remove your criminal responsibility,' Macron told Le Figaro in an interview published on Sunday.
'On this topic, I would like the minister of justice to submit a change to the law as soon as possible,' the president continued.
'It is not for me to comment on a court decision, but I would like to tell the family, relatives of the victim and all fellow citizens of the Jewish faith who were awaiting this trial of my warm support and the determination of the Republic to protect them,' said Macron.
His comments come as welcome news to the French Jewish community which was deeply angered by the ruling of France's Court of Cassation.
In April 2017, Kobili Traoré, a 27-year-old Muslim man, beat Halimi, his 65-year-old Jewish neighbor, while screaming 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great) and antisemitic slogans before throwing her out of the window of her third-floor apartment to her death.
A lower court ruled in December 2019 that Traoré was not criminally responsible for his actions since his heavy intake of cannabis supposedly compromised his 'discernment,' or consciousness.
The Court of Cassation upheld this ruling last week.
Macron's comments come following outrage amongst the French Jewish community over the court's ruling, and statements by Jewish leaders that they intend to lobby for a change in the law.
A demonstration is being planned by several Jewish organizations for this coming Sunday in the central Paris location of the Place Du Trocadero to protest the ruling..."